CDC Chairman: Primary vote fraud doesn’t automatically disqualify candidate until court ruling

[webfact]

CDC Chairman: Primary vote fraud doesn’t automatically disqualify candidate until court ruling

 

BANGKOK, 25th July 2017 (NNT) - The Chairman of the Constitutional Drafting Commission has revealed that any future election candidate can still run for office even after he or she is found guilty of primary vote fraud. 

CDC Chairman Meechai Ruchuphan said that the charter drafters have no objection to the draft law on the criminal procedure for holders of political office, and are now only waiting for the appropriate time to submit it to the Prime Minister for the next step in the process of passing a new law. 

When asked about the court’s recommendation for a review of the period for the trial in absentia and for additional details, Mr. Meechai said that the CDC may do so if such a process does not make the draft law stray from its original intent. 

Concerning questions about the effect of any primary vote fraud, the CDC Chairman said that anyone who faces a complaint related to this matter will likely still be able to run for office until such time as the court delivers a guilty verdict and imposes punishment on him or her. 

He added that a guilty verdict in the case of primary vote fraud won't affect the votes counted for the party-list election as it is a case against an individual, not a party.

 

-- nnt 2017-07-25

[Lupatria]

Sometimes its not a good idea to reveal your intentions... 

[SABloke]

So the lead candidate will be accused (with or without proof) of some fraud which would then get the party in power, but at an appropriate time the court will pull the plug on the candidate who will then be forced to step down which would cause a deadlock in the lower house which opens up the senate to select Prayuth...I mean some non- MP to be prime minister. 

[Srikcir]

Or another scenario wherein the court withholds or mitigates its verdict (which may or may not be politically motivated) in exchange for a "benefit" that might reach beyond the court, ie., favorable political agenda, future political appointments, nepotism, etc. A court system dedicated to holders of political office may be very vulnerable to its own corruption.